


Defeat

by Aaronlisa



Category: Glee
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-10
Updated: 2011-04-10
Packaged: 2017-10-17 21:30:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/181340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronlisa/pseuds/Aaronlisa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jesse doesn't feel like the win was really a victory.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Defeat

**Author's Note:**

> Written for LJ's 500themes community, this takes place during Season One just after Vocal Adrenalin win Regionals.

His teammates are rejoicing their win at Regionals (as if any of them actually ever doubted that they would win besides him and maybe Shelby) and he knows that he should be just as happy as they are but he's not. Yet Jesse wants to leave them to their celebration since he finds no joy in it or in his team members anymore. The crushing defeat of New Directions makes him sick, at the very least they should have come in second (and if Jesse was really honest with himself, he knows that they should have come in first.)

However he can't leave. Shelby has ordered him to stay put, to act like the team captain that he's supposed to be. She didn't threaten his future this time but her flashing eyes (so like Rachel's) hold unspoken implications that Jesse would rather not find out about. So Jesse stays with his teammates and follows them to the annual Regionals house party where he winds up with a beer in one hand and a pretty girl in his lap. He smiles on cue and feels his heart break all over again. (It really shouldn't be this hard, he knows this, it was after all only supposed to be a test of his acting skills but he hadn't taken into account how real it would be for Rachel.)

He manages to escape to the bathroom when his phone vibrates. The text message is simple, emotionless and to the point: Congratulations. It's from Rachel and Jesse quickly deletes it. He wants to call her and to fix things between them but Shelby has told him to stay away from both of her daughters. She might not want Rachel but he can't have her either. Jesse shoves the phone back into his pocket before he looks up into the mirror.

It's always been easy for him but when he flashes his best and brightest smile, it looks hollow to him. He knows that they'll win Nationals and then he'll escape to California where he can put all of this (especially Rachel and Shelby) far behind him. For now, Jesse knows that he has to go back into the lion's den and pretend that everything is normal. That his heart doesn't belong to a dark-haired slip of a girl on an opposing team or that he can't stand the majority of his former teammates. This time when he dons the smile, it looks fake but he knows it'll fool the others.

((END))


End file.
